From being dropped on the opening day of the season and being replaced as captain, to re-establishing himself as a fundamental figure in the side, it’s been quite the season already for Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings.
The 30-year-old Villa stalwart has been one of countless players in the current squad who have benefited from the arrival of Unai Emery, as he has adapted well to the demands of the Spaniard and shown significant improvement in the process.
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It would have been a difficult period for Mings at the start of the campaign, and admittedly while there was always criticism of his habit of making costly errors, he has remained a pivotal figure in the squad given his ability, leadership and presence.
However, we didn’t see that under Steven Gerrard, and it was fitting that after scoring an own goal at Fulham in his last game in charge, Mings bagged the winner against the Cottagers six months on to continue our march towards Europe.
In seven Premier League games under Gerrard, we had just one win, three draws and three defeats with Mings and Ezri Konsa as our centre-half pairing, as we conceded 1.29 goals per game with a 29% clean sheet percentage.
Conversely, in 19 games under Emery, we’ve secured 13 wins, three draws and three defeats with that same pairing, 0.95 goals conceded per game while we’ve got a 50% clean sheet percentage.
It’s been a radical change across the board, and we’ve seen countless individuals right across the squad improve under Emery, but Mings has certainly benefitted from his coaching and is continuing to impress while also re-establishing that partnership with Konsa in the heart of the backline.
The pair have been excellent, particularly in recent weeks as we’ve kept five consecutive home clean sheets and have conceded just three goals in our last 10 outings, both in the discipline and concentration that they’ve shown in their defending, but also to combine that with Emery’s demand of playing out from the back and being patient in possession.
Mings even had time to play a delightful ball with the outside of his left foot to set Alex Moreno clear down the left flank against Fulham on Tuesday night, and that was a small but clear sign of the confidence and belief that he’s playing with now.
His goal – his first since November 2021 – would have been a huge boost for him as well as he has the attributes to be a real threat for us in the opposition box, and so it’s hoped that he can find some consistency in that side of his game too moving forward.
Nevertheless, the character, resolve, ability and personality that Mings has shown in these last few months has been great to see, and there surely is no denying that we’re a better, more defensively sound side with him in it given his physical presence, aerial strength and ever-improving defensive play and distribution.
Mings has always been an important piece in the Villa side, but things feel as though they’re really coming together – both individually and collectively – under Emery, and he is thriving and will hopefully continue to play an integral part in our strong finish to the campaign.